An unmatched tangible and intelligible heritage
eville is the result of the passage of diverse cultures that, over centuries, have left their mark on an impressive assortment of monuments. The collection of monuments formed by the Cathedral (2,3M visitors), the Alcazar (2,1M visitors) and the Archive of the Indies was included (1987) within the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In 2007 Seville received the World Heritage Cities Award for the urban regeneration of the monumental complex that involved the recovery of urban space, pedestrianisation and improvement of accessibility and improvement of public spaces.
Culture is a transversal element of urban policies
Seville is committed to its culture and its value as an element of social cohesion. In 2005, it signed the A21 for Culture - a global pact to promote culture as a cross-cutting element of urban policies and created the Institute of Culture and the Arts (ICAS) to manage cultural policy and consolidate culture as an engine of urban development in the city.
Seville works to improve access to culture and enhance heritage as a strategy to expand the offer of tourist resources, decongest the Historic Centre by extending culture and tourism to other neighbourhoods:
Rehabilitation of the Fabrica de Artilleria to become the Centro Magallanes for Entrepreneurship of Cultural and Creative Industries. (9.500 m2, investment 20M€).
Rehabilitation of the Santa Clara Convent for patrimonial storage (5,900 m2, investment 8 M€).
Recovery of the environment and the complex Fábrica Altadis to provide it with tourist and cultural uses. (6.200m2, investment 200M €).
Caixaforum Building. New cultural centre (7.500m2, investment 20M €).
FIBES II Building. New space for conventions, concerts, and events (40.000m2. investment 20M €).
Key innovation and technology in this strategy
The project Horizonte Sevilla Intelligent aims to conserve, protect and disseminate historical heritage with technologies that facilitate intelligent management and bring cultural wealth closer to visitors and citizens. 274 buildings (8 museums, 27 cultural buildings) will incorporate
RA tools and sensors for intelligent tourism management and will organise customised proposals for visitors based on the occupancy of existing buildings, timetables, and events.
Seville has spaces for entrepreneurship and the promotion of Creative Cultural Industries: Lunar Project, Advanced Enterprise Resource Centre for companies linked to creativity and culture.
Proven projects that put Seville at the forefront of smart tourist destinations
Seville as Intelligent Tourist Destinations (DTI) has conducted an audit that identifies areas for improvement according to the UNE:178501 standard.
As a result of this audit, Seville has developed innovative projects that have received the recognition of the Spanish Government in terms of 5G, smart city and smart tourist destination:
5G: Impulse total connectivity in areas of abundant tourist influx: Historic Centre, Isla de La Cartuja, Feria Abril and FIBES. Pilot project to apply augmented reality and artificial intelligence in the management of transit of the Real Alcazares.
City Platform: For the integral management of municipal services, citizen participation and coordination of major events and emergencies.
Intelligent Tourist Destination: Sensorization of public buildings (Cultural Interest Goods, Museums, Hotels, Transport Infrastructure, etc) as IoT nodes (Internet of Things) that contribute all the information to the City Platform.
In addition, within the Smart Tourism Office (STO), Seville develops a Smart Tourist System that analyses tourism data from multiple sources and in real time for management and planning as a sustainable tourist destination.
It has also developed a pioneering project across Europe to ensure the safety of citizens and tourists at major events using AI, GPS, Ultra High-Definition Cameras, and sensors that have been put into operation during Easter.
Finally, Seville is the reference capital for conferences and events on smart cities and tourist destinations: 5G Forum, Tourism Innovation Summit, RECI Technical Committee.
According to the IESE report on smart cities, Seville ranks 68th out of a total of 181 cities in 80 countries.
A unique and competitive cultural offering.
Culture and creativity are two traits that identify the city. Cultural tourism is the main segment of the city (35% visitors / 6,3M museum visitors). Seville has designed and implemented unique cultural-based tourism products that restore and enhance the city's heritage and identity.
Seville, Creative City of Music by UNESCO
In Seville music is everywhere. From symphonies, operas and open public spaces dedicated to music to foundations, schools, and conservatories. The city offers multiple ways of engaging in the creation and appreciation of music.
In 2006 Seville was selected by UNESCO as the first Creative City of Music. It has several festivals and musical events (Monkey Week, Festival of Ancient Music of Seville, Interstellar, Iconic Fest, Garden Nights of Alcazar, Swing Festival, etc.). The most famous is the Flamenco Biennial, a genre that was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.
Hosting this activity requires concert halls, public spaces, and infrastructure for major events (Fibes, Auditorio Rocío Jurado, Estadio de la Cartuja, Cartuja Center, Auditorio Nissan Cartuja or Teatro de la Maestranza-Opera House).
Major events related to culture and celebration
In addition to Easter Celebration and the Feria de Abril, Seville has been able to highlight its extensive historical and artistic heritage through major events with performances and exhibitions dedicated to Velázquez, Murillo (650,000 visits) or the recent 5th Centennial of Magallanes’ first trip around the world. Or by the increased worth of its routes such as the Legado Andalusi Route certified by the Council of Europe
Seville, audiovisual hub
Seville has the main cluster of creative and cultural industries in the audiovisual sector in Andalucía (Andalucia Media Alliance). In May, Seville announced that FIBES will host the Andaluz Hub-Sevilla Audiovisual Hub, one of the largest film and television platforms in Europe that will attract economic and cultural initiatives.
The Seville City Council has an office (Sevilla&Me https://sevillaandme.com/) dedicated to the promotion of the city as a space for filming and for the organisation of events that affect the public space. In total through this office were managed in 2021: 123 films (20.1M € economic impact) and 65 events and shows (26M € economic impact and 131,000 attendees).
